A great variety of sizes and types of fish hooks have been proposed or devised. Generally speaking, such differently configured fish hooks are intended to better catch and hold the different types and sizes of fish. In connection with preventing escape of the fish after it has struck the fish hook, it is commonplace to use a barb that is located near the tip or penetrating point of the fish hook. It is well known to use a single barb that enters the flesh of the fish when it strikes the hook, with the location and shape of the barb acting to hold the fish to the hook.
Although single barb hooks are commonly available, some hooks have been devised that include one or more piercing projections, in addition to the commonly provided single barb. In U.S. Pat. No. 523,988 to Martin, issued Aug. 7, 1894 and entitled "Fish Hook," a combination of a single barb with one or more smaller beards is disclosed. The smaller beard(s) are located forward of the single barb and relatively more adjacent to the penetrating point or tip of the fish hook. U.S. Pat. No. 2,962,833 to Stinson, issued Dec. 6, 1960 and entitled "Attachment for Fish Hooks" describes a number of burrs bent at different angles for use in holding bait. U.S. Pat. No. 620,896 to Edgar, issued Mar. 14, 1899 and entitled "Fish Hook" and U.S. Pat. No. 2,233,863 to Driscoll Mar. 4, 1941 and entitled "Fishhook" disclose a number of unaligned barbs that are located along opposite or different parts of the fish hook but are adjacent to the penetrating point of the hook. In U.S. Pat. No. 2,906,054 to Morehead, issued Sep. 29, 1959 and entitled "Fish Hook," a large number of splines are disposed surrounding the tip of the fish hook and adjacent to portions thereof. The splines are formed at different angles along the length of the tip. U.S. Pat. No. 2,266,725 to Andrews, issued Dec. 23, 1941 and entitled "Fishhook" relates to a double barb fish hook in which a second barb is located a significant distance from the tip of the fish hook and along the shank thereof. U.S. Pat. No. 1,717,190 to Coleman, issued Jun. 11, 1929 and entitled "Fishhook" and U.S. Pat. No. 666,309 to Fiege, issued Jan. 22, 1901 and entitled "Fish Hook," show multiple barbs connected to separate sections of the fish hook, which sections are joined to a common portion of the fish hook.
Despite the disclosures in the prior art of fish hooks having multiple barbs, it would be advantageous to provide a fish hook that has more than one barb for better securing the fish to the fish hook, while keeping the fish hook design relatively simple in comparison with single barbed fish hooks and inexpensively manufacturable for a variety of different sizes and/or types of fish hooks.